忒修斯历险记
The tall ships rode at anchor(anchor n.锚 v.抛锚， 锚定) in the harbour of Troezen，and a soft wind blew from the land，ready to bear King Aegeus back to his home in Athens；but still he lingered on the shore，walking to and fro with his lovely wife Aethra，who clasped their infant(infant n.婴儿， 幼儿adj.婴儿的， 幼稚的) son in her arms．Aethra was a princess of Troezen，and in that city Aegeus had a princess(princess n.公主) of Troezen，and in that city Aegeus had wooed and married her．
高大的船只停泊在特洛曾港口，和风从陆地吹来，要把埃勾斯国王带回他雅典的故乡；但他仍恋恋不舍地留在岸上，与心爱的妻子埃特拉踱来踱去——她紧抱着他们尚在襁褓中的儿子。埃特拉是特洛曾的公主，就在那座城市中埃勾斯国王向她求婚，并娶了她。
Why he couldn‘t also take her back with him to his own country，no man has been able to explain．The old story tells us that Aegeus was forced to depart alone； and before going on board he steeled himself to take a sorrowful(sorrowful adj.悲伤的) leave of his wife and child．
为什么他不带她一起回他自己的国家，没有人能解释。古老的故事告诉我们，埃勾斯是被迫独自离开的。在上船之前，他硬着心肠与妻子和儿子告别。
“You must know，” he said to Aethra， “that all my life I have wished that the gods would bless(bless vt.祝福， 保佑) me with a son，and at last my wish has been granted；so I would have you rear him carefully，as befits awarrior and the son of a king．”
“你一定要明白，”他对埃特拉说，“我毕生的心愿就是希望神灵能保佑我，给我一个儿子，最终我的心愿得以恩准。所以我要让你悉心养育他，使他无愧为一名勇士和国王的儿子。”
Then，as he and Aethra paced the shore，Aegeus paused before a huge rock，and stooping down，he exerted(exert vt.尽（力）， 施加（压力等）， 努力 v.发挥， 竭尽全力) his great strength to roll it aside and reveal(reveal vt.展现， 显示， 揭示， 暴露) a hollow(hollow n.洞， 窟窿， 山谷 adj.空的， 虚伪的， 空腹的， 凹的) space beneath it．Taking off his sandals and unbuckling his jewelled sword，he placed them in the hollow．Afterwards he rolled back the rock to its former position．
随后，当埃勾斯和埃特拉在海岸走来走去时，他在一块巨石前停下，弯腰用尽气力地将这块石头滚到一边，从下面露出一个空洞的地方。他脱掉草鞋，解下嵌满宝石的剑，把它们放在空洞里。随之，他又把岩石滚回到原来的位置。
“When my son has grown to manhood，and is strong enough to raise that rock，”continued Aegeus，“you must bring him to this place，and let him discover for himself the sword and the sandals(sandal n.凉鞋， 檀香， 便鞋 v.穿上便鞋)．Then，but not until then，you may tell him the name of his father，and send him out to seek me．”
“当我儿子长大成人，强健得足以搬开那块岩石的时候，”埃勾斯接着说，“你务必要带他来这儿，让他自己发现草鞋和宝剑。那时，只有到那时，你才能告诉他他父亲的名字，并派他前去寻找我。”
Aegeus hastily(hastily adv.急速地， 轻率地， 慌忙地， 草率地 )embraced his wife and son，and without a backward glance he departed to his ship．But lovely Aethra stood in tears，watching the white sails as they dipped down to the horizon．Her life had been passed amid gaiety and music；and now，alone with the surge(surge n.巨涌， 汹涌， 澎湃 vi.汹涌， 澎湃， 振荡， 滑脱vt.使汹涌奔腾， 急放) on the shore，she knew for the first time how desolate a story is told by the breaking seas．
埃勾斯匆匆地拥抱了妻子和儿子，便头也不回地向他的船走去了，但可爱的埃特拉却泪流满面地站在那儿，看着洁白的船帆，直至它们没入地平线以下。她的生活一直是处在欢悦和快乐中。现在，孑然在岸，与汹涌的海浪为伴，她第一次懂得使人分离的大海，讲述的是一个何等悲凉的故事。
Years passed，and the boy Theseus grew steadily in strength and beauty．When he reached the age of sixteen，his mother led him to the spot on the seashore where she and her husband had said farewell(farewell n.辞别， 再见， 再会)．
数年过后，忒修斯这个男孩子已长大，变得强壮俊美。当他长到16岁的时候，他母亲把他带到海滩上与丈夫告别的那个地方。
“Now，my son，”she commanded him，“raise this rock，and take out from the hollow beneath it whatever you find there．”
“现在，我的儿子，”她命令他说，“搬开这块岩石，无论你在底下的空洞中发现什么东西，都要拿出来。”
The youth rolled aside the rock with ease，and brought from the hollow the sword and the sandals which Aegeus had hidden．
年轻人轻而易举地把这块岩石滚到一边，从洞里取出埃勾斯埋藏的草鞋和宝剑。
“Those sandals and that sword，” continued his mother， “belonged to your father，Aegeus of Athens．” Then she told Theseus the story of her marriage and of his birth，and the whole secret that she had kept for so long．“And you must go forth.”said she．“Your father commanded that you should leave Troezen and cross the sea to Athens，there to make yourself known to him．”
“那草鞋和剑，”他母亲继续道，“属于你的父亲——雅典的埃勾斯。”接着告诉忒修斯关于她的婚姻和他的出生的故事——这么长时间以来她一直保守的全部秘密。她说：“你必须前往你父亲那里，他命令你要离开特洛曾，横渡海洋到达雅典，在那儿，你自己与他相认。”
“I will go forthgo (forth v.向前去， （命令等）被发布， 被发表) to meet my father.”replied the youth．“But I will not cross the sea，for the way by sea is too safe and certain．I will take the dangerous road by land and by the time my journey is ended I shall have proved myself worthy to be called Aegeuss son．”
“我将前去会见我的父亲，”这个年轻人回答，“但我不横渡海洋，因为海路太安全可靠。我要选择那条危险丛生的陆路，等到我旅程结束时候，我将向人们证明我无愧于是埃勾斯的儿子。”
Aethra tried for a long time to turn aside the yourth from this enterprise(enterprise n.企业， 事业， 计划， 事业心， 进取心， 干事业)，for the road between Troezen and Athens was perilous for travellers．But Theseus was decided. After a short time he bid farewell to his mother and set forth on his way．
埃特拉费了很长时间，试图使这个年轻人在此件事上改变主意，因为从特洛曾到雅典之间的路途，对于旅行者来说，是险峻的。但忒修斯却是决心已定，没多久，便辞别母亲，出发上路。
Before he left home，Theseus had heard men speak of the giant Periphetes，who had his dwelling not far from Troezen．Periphetes was the son of Vulcan，the smithgod，and Vulcan had fashioned for his son a gigantic(gigantic adj.巨人般的， 巨大的) iron club，covered with sharp spikes．Men said that from dawn to sunset Periphetes stood，club in hand，astride the narrow roadway(roadway n.车行道， 路面， （铁道的）路线)，waiting for travellers to approach．
忒修斯在离家前就曾听人谈论过巨人珀里斐忒斯，他居住在离特洛曾不远的地方。珀里斐忒斯是铁匠伏尔甘之子，伏尔甘为儿子锻造了一根上面覆满锋利的尖钉的大铁棒。人们都说，从日出到日落珀里斐忒斯手握铁棒，站在那条狭窄的路上，等待着旅行者走近。
So after the youth had gone a mile or so，he was not in the least surprised to see this giant barring the roadway at a little distance from him．Theseus merely grasped his sword in readiness(readiness n.准备就绪) and moved steadily on，watching with keen eye for a chance to strike．He did not pause till he was only a few paces from the giant．Periphetes immediately swung his huge weapon；but Theseus leapt aside，and the club thundered to the ground and awoke the echoes among the rocks．Before the giant could again raise his club，Theseus sprang quickly in and dealt him a fatal wound．